Expansible securing device for watch-bracelets.



0. L. DEPOLLIER .& E. G. DUNGUPF. EXPANSIBLE SECURING DEVICE FOR WATCH BRACELETS.

APPLICATION FILED I'EB.10, 1914.

1, 1 1 3,885. Patented 00t.13, 1914.

I 'j I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. DEPOLLIER, OF NEW YORK, AND EDWARD G. DUNCUFF, OF MOUNT- VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS T0 DUBOIS WATCH CASE COMPANY, OF BROOK LYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

EXPANSIBLE SECURING DEVICE FOR WATCH-BRACELETS.

Application filed February 10, 1914. Serial No. 817,745.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES L. DEPOL- LIER and EDWARD C. DUNCUFF, citizens of the United States, residin in the city, county, and State of New Y brk and Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expans'ible Securing Devices for Watch-Bracelets, of which the following is a s ecification.

ur invention relates to novel means for securing a watch, locket, or other suitable useful and ornamental article to the ends of an expansible bracelet.

The main object of this invention is to provide two sliding links at both ends of the bracelet, which links may be easily and readily manipulated so as to increase the slze of the bracelet to facilitate its being passed over the hand and on to the wrist and then manipulated so as to bring the bracelet back to its normal size when it may be fastened.

Another object of the invention is to provide an expansible sliding link. which 1ncludes a hook without the'use of a spring, which would increase the size of the bracelet,

so as to facilitate the sliding of the bracelet over the hand without unhooking the watch, since as heretofore many bracelets have been damaged or broken apart, owing to' the expansion to allow the bracelet to readily slip over the hand. Further, our improved book link permits the watch to be readily detached entirely from the bracelet and to be worn as an ordinary watch.

A further object of this invention is to furnish an I exp'ansible link comprising a hook which looks itself, said hook having projections at each side thereof at one end adapted to slide within another link provided with grooved side pieces, said grooved side pieces eing connected at one end by a member which covers the end of the hook when the link is closed thereby adding security to the hook and leaving no projecting point to come in contact with the wearing apparel when either opened or closed.

A still further object of the inventionis to Specification of Letters Patent.

attained by the construction, combination, arrangement and location of the parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and particularly pointi ed out in the claims appended hereto.

With reference to the drawings :Figure 1,is a perspective view of an expansible i watch bracelet embodying our invention. 5 Fig. 2, is an edge view of a portion of the ;bracelet showing one end of the bracelet hooked to the watch and the other end detached therefrom. Fig. 3, is a side view of a portion of the bracelet showing the expansible securing means located intermediate the bracelet. Fig. 4, is an edge view of the structure shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is a longitudinal sectional view through our improved securing means showing the hook in full lines. Fig. 6, is a side view of the hook portion of the securing means. Fig. 7, is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8, is a side view showing a slightly modified form of a portion of the securing means without the hook, and Fig. 9, is an enlarged front elevation of the forward end of that portion of the securing means which carries the book.

In the several views of the drawings sim- 3 ilar characters of reference are employed to designate like or the same parts throughout where they occur, wherein 1, designates the links of an expansible bracelet, and 2, the watch to which the bracelet is attached at each end thereof.

By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings it REIISSUED will be seen that the watch is secured at separated at an incline to the direction of its length near the forward end thereof to form a hook portion 4, the other end being provided at each side thereof with a projection 5, and the upper portion being inclined upwardlyand forwardly to form a hump portion 6 for the purpose hereinafter described.

The other member 6' of the expansible securing structure consists of two side pieces 7 secured at one end by a pin 8 and at its forward end by a. top and bottom piece brazed or otherwise secured together to form an integral end portion 9 substantially as shown in Fig. 9. In each side portion 7 the inner wall is provided with a longitudinal groove 10 adapted to receive the projections 5 thus serving to retain the link 3 between said side pieces, thereby preventing said link from getting out, and acting as a guide for the reciprocal movement of the side pieces,when moved back and forth over the link 3.

The forward upper end portion 9 of the member 6' is so constructed that it allows the hump portion 6 of the hook to pass thereunder, and when member'ti' is slid to its forward position said end portion 9 will rest in front ofthe hump portion 6 and cover the end of the hook thereby closing the hook portion thus adding to its security and leaving no projecting point to come in contact with wearing apparel, hence when the expansible link is closed the'hook is protected by the top piece of the member 6.

In Fig. 8 of the drawings is shown a solid memberll constituting one portion of the expansible structure, this member 11 being in one piece, the forward end portion 12 being of such a ,.resilient character that by pressing downward on the hump portion 13 the top piece of the member 6' may be readily released and slid in a rearward direction to expand the structure and increase the size of the bracelet.

It will be readily understood that when the parts constituting our improved expansible securing means at each end of the bracelet are in closed position the top piece on the forward end of the member 6 rests in front of the hump portion on the open link hook member 3, and covers the end of the hook and by merely pressing downwardon the hump portion member 6 is releasedand .caused to move rearwardly thus opening the of its normal expansion to facilitate it being readily passed over the hand, and by the closing and locking of said means the added increase in the size of the bracelet is reduced sufficiently to hold the watch snugly on the wrist of the wearer.

It will be perceived that slight changes in the precise details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for securing a watch to an expansible bracelet at each end thereof, comprising an expansible link structure consisting of two interlocked members slidable in relation to each other, one member being composed of an open link having a resilient upper portion provided with a hump and having a hook at one end, and another member composed of two side ieces connected together at each end, one en having an outwardly projecting portion adapted to slide over-said hump and rest in frontthereof to lock said hook when the structure is in its contracted position.

2. A device for securing a bracelet together at any intermediate portion thereof, comprising an expansible link structure consisting of two interlocked members slid'able in relation to each other, one member being an open link separated on a diagonal line at its forward end to form a hook, and having a resilient upper portion provided with a hump and adapted to open and close said hook, and another member composed of two side pieces connected together at one end and the other end of said side pieces being connected by an outwardly projecting portion adapted to slide over said hump and rest in contact with the front thereof to close andv lock said hook when the link structure is in closed position.

3. A device for securinga watch to an expansible bracelet, comprising an expansible link structure composed of two link interlocked members slidable in relation to each other, one member consisting of an open link having a hook at one end thereof and provided with an upper resilient portion, the other member having means at one end thereof for locking said hook and resilient member for the purpose set forth.

:In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

' CHARLES L. DEPOLLIElt.

EDWARD C. DUNCUFF. Witnesses:

CLARENCE B. SMITH, FLORENCE M. DICK. 

